Some are Lost, Others are Found
by ShadowPillar
Summary: After five years lost at sea, Oliver Queen has returned home. With the help of a friend, he hopes to right the wrongs done by his family, and save his city. When he meets a displaced man and offers him a purpose to keep fighting, can Oliver realize that he too can find a way to live his hectic life and not be consumed?
1. Prologue A

**(A/N): Hey all! So this isn't my first fanfic I've posted on here, under a different name, but this will be the first Arrow centric story. Hopefully I can stick with it and get this one finished. I can't promise a stric publishing schedule, because of school and work it leaves me with little free time. But have no fear! This story likes to pester me with ideas so I will always be writing to keep you guys happy. :) Without further ado...enjoy!  
><strong>

* * *

><p><em>It all seemed so surreal to her as she stood in place, looking through the thirty-two by twenty-eight inch glass window that separated her waking nightmare and her wildest fleeting dreams. If someone had walked up to her and told her she would have laughed it off. She would have been mildly insulted that anyone would have the audacity, only before threatening to burn everything around them to the ground. All veiled in subtle phrases, however, because no one would ever believe her willing to do so. <em>

"Over thirty percent of his body is covered in scar tissue."

_She remembered when the news first came to her. She remembered denying it at first, yelling at the person that it was all fabricated. A ruse to catch her off-guard, to harm her family. Then the pieces fell into place. The lack of contact, the missed calls, the growing pit of dread in her very being as she lay awake at night wondering. She remembered, when it finally sunk in, her legs unable to hold her as she fell weeping, crying out her very soul as her world shattered around her. She remembered feeling broken. She walked the same route through her home every day, her hope that if she could just make it around the next corner her despair would end. _

_It never came._

"He also has fourteen fractures that never properly healed, not including the burn marks and various other wounds."

_She remembered a daughter lost and scared crying for her mother to help her understand. How the despair turned to anger at the lack of response. How that anger was molded into spite and then forged into to recklessness. She remembered coming home to find her daughter in handcuffs for shoplifting, or find her bruised and split open from a fight she had no business starting (in her eyes, her daughter being surprisingly vocal to contradict her). How could she help her understand when she had no idea how to fix herself? She remembered when lies and deceit became routine for her. The thought of continuing her late husband's morally construed agenda under his oldest friend's guidance weighed heavily on her. Under that guidance she lied and manipulated her web of secrets, doing whatever necessary to keep what was left of her family safe._

_And that was when her doorbell rang unexpectedly. She remembered as she stood in her doorway staring at a tall, British, dark skinned man dressed in an overly expensive suit with a bouquet of her favorite flowers. A well-spoken, stern, and focused man standing in her porch blubbering like a summer intern. She remembered how surprised and happy it made her that she readily accepted his invitation._

_It was her escape. And her darkened world seemed a shade lighter._

"He has been quiet so far."

_She remembers, after having her world turn upside down and then slowly picked back up, the call that seemed to both tear back down and build back up said world in the span of roughly nine minutes and twenty-seven seconds. A hole, she had led herself to believe was healed, opened back up and fixed itself properly. She could remember feeling a weight lift and as she once again found herself on the floor crying, her husband and daughter hovering above her asking if she was alright. And she remembered thinking that at that moment she could finally speak the truth. _

"And the man he came in with will not leave his side." The doctor's faint touch on her arm brought her out of her trance. There was someone else with him? Could she afford to have two miracles in one night? "I want you to prepare yourself. The Oliver you lost will not be the one they found."

To hear of the injuries and trauma he most likely endured, Moira Queen was anything but naive enough to believe anything less. She placed her hand on the knob and after a nod from the doctor opened the door softly. With shaking limbs, her heart in her throat, and her whole body feeling compressed, she stepped into the room.

"Oliver?" As he turned to look at her, she was shocked to see the differences from the last time she saw him. His face, once so full of childlike joy and happiness, now seemed like a stranger to her with shadows and a refined jawline. Moira was amazed how much older and more mature Oliver looked. Gone was the shaggy hair and clean shaven face, in its place was cropped hair and a permanent five o'clock shadow. His eyes were seemingly darker and she noted how they swept over the room, taking in every detail, before landing on hers. She watched in confusion as his eyes narrowed and held her in place, peering right through her like he was coming to the conclusion that she was no immediate threat. His whole stance softened as his lips curved up in a small smile and she let out a breath she did not realize she was holding.

"Are you just going to stand and stare, Kid?" That one statement seemed to snap Oliver out of whatever daze he was in and brought Moira's attention to the other man in the room. She noted his foreign accent and dark complexion. The way his eyes seemed dark and wild like her son's, taking in the room in one large sweep. His short dark hair and stubble matched Oliver's and the hospital scrubs did little to hide his muscular physique. Her lips twitched in amusement; he could easily dwarf most of her security. At her gaze the man bowed his head in acknowledgment, "You must be Oliver's mother. Slade Wilson. The kid had quite a bit to say about you."

Oliver snorted in mild protest, and at Moira's arched look raised his hands in defense. "All nice things, I swear."

Moira smiled as Slade tilted his head knowingly at Oliver, the hidden smirk evident. She watched the silent conversation the two had in front of her and not able to stand it any longer, crossed the room and enveloped Oliver in a crushing hug. She felt her son tense at the sudden contact and wondered what had happened to make him freeze like that. It was forgotten immediately when her son wrapped his arms around her tightly, quieting her softly as she let a pent up sob escape her.

"My beautiful boy…I'm so glad you're home." Oliver hummed his agreement as he moved to hold her at arms-length his gaze moving up and down.

"You don't look any different Mom."

Moira smiled and felt herself blush at the praise. She could say the same for her son, except that would not be true at all. Everything about him, from his posture to his features and voice seemed drastically different than five years ago. A pang in her chest formed at the thought of him coming home, her eyes dropping to stare at the ground.

Oliver noticed his mother's sudden discomfort. He placed his thumb under her chin and made her look up at him, "Mom? What's going on? How come Thea isn't here with you?" At her slight shudder and refusal to meet his gaze, Oliver's grip on her tightened somewhat as his soft quiet voice dropped into an almost growl at his next words. He had figured something was off the moment he realized Thea was not present. "Don't lie and say she's fine."

Moira gasped and stepped back, wringing her hands together as her son stepped into her personal space, towering over her. "Oliver please! I just had the miracle of having my own son-"

"Where. Is. She?" With each punctuated word that formed Oliver felt his control rapidly spinning away. He closed his eyes and breathed in through his nose, calming himself. Once calmed, he fixed his mother with a piercing gaze, "How long has she been missing?"

He noticed how nurses crowded the windows outside the room to steal a look at the castaway returned home and why he was so upset; how Slade sat rigid in his hospital bed next to Oliver's, all relaxation on the man's face erased at the mention of his friend's plight. He also noticed how his mother seemed to shrink in silent despair; how her shoulders straightened as she composed herself before taking a steady breath. "Ever since the…tragedy Thea has been acting out. Going to parties late at night, shoplifting, coming home drunk. I always thought that it was to get closer to you and it was her way of coping. I paid it no mind. Until she came home one night, crying because a boy she met at a party tried to drug her." By now Oliver was staring holes in the far window, his jaw ticked and fists clenched at the mention of someone trying to harm his Thea. "I talked her out of trying to have him arrested and she went on as usual. Nothing else happened for years, until a week before today. She was out partying with friends from school…" Moira stopped suddenly, fighting the emotions that were threatening to tear her apart. "Oliver, it's the same group that took you and her before."

Oliver and Thea always had a natural bond with each other. They could always tell when the other was worried or sad or in trouble. That bond only strengthened when a month before Oliver and their father set sail for China when Thea had been abducted on her way home from school. Oliver had been with her picking her up from school. After Robert Queen closed down his factory, putting hundreds of people without a job and on the street, some of his former employees had taken it upon themselves to enact revenge. It turned out that they were a part of one of the cruelest and notorious gangs in Starling City. Oliver and Thea had been held captive for three days with no food and barely enough water before a ransom had been sent out electronically. With the help of a computer-genius friend of Oliver's and an outside security consultant, it had taken the family another three days to track them down. (1)

Oliver remembered the beatings they received as they waited. That did nothing to stop the torture he and his sister endured. He remembered with each passing day how the number of 'exercises' increased, like it was some sort of punishment. To Oliver, it felt like it was. That was the first time he felt guilty about how he had wasted his life. He remembered how the men would target Thea, singling her out in their twisted way of breaking him. As he listened to his sister's cries and screams as she was being sexually assaulted and beaten right next to him, it was the first time he remembered the pure rage and anger that gripes him. The need to lash out and kill the ones that were harming his sister. The memories haunted him more than Lian Yu. Before he realized it, he was outside the hospital and headed towards the family car with his mother and some nurses yelling for him to stop. He was about to open the door when he heard Slade's voice pierce through the crowd of people.

"Oliver!" The man in question froze, eyes snapping up to meet his mentor's. Slade's face was set in stone, expressionless except for the fire that blazed in his eyes. "Сделайте их страдать." (2)

Oliver stared at his mother who was trying frantically to get out of Slade's grip on her arm. Her eyes were pleading with her son to stay, to forget about rescuing Thea on his own and be safe. He knew why she wanted this, but he never was one to stay idle. Oliver would not be lying if the sight did not strike a chord in him. He felt a tug at his heart that he had not felt in five years. He closed his eyes, got in the car, and tore out of the parking lot. Now that he could do something, he would not rest until Thea was safe in his arms.

XxX

"Stop! Please, no more! I'll do anything just don't touch me!" A smack echoed of the walls followed by a shriek and quiet sobs.

"You don't seem to get it, I control you now. And I'll do what I want."

"No! Stay away!" The screeching sound of a chair raking against concrete echoed again, followed by a manic laugh.

In a room next door a man rolled his head back, squeezing his eyes shut in an attempt to block the noise out. Death wasn't supposed to be so loud. His eyes snapped open at that thought and swept around the dimly lit room. He tried to raise a hand to his aching head only to realize his arms were tied behind him to a wooden chair. He blinked slowly as his mind caught up to the fact he was still alive, tied to a wooden chair no less. A low laugh rumbled through him as he pulled on his restraints. He took stock of himself: whatever injuries he had were minor, half nude except for a loose pair of cargos that he did not remember receiving, his bare-feet scraping the concrete floor. Voices floating outside the room turned his attention to the door beside him. He slowed his breathing and lowered his head as the door opened. A side glance found two men in black arguing with each other, fully equipped for a small war.

"And I told you it wouldn't be a problem. The guy hasn't moved for three hours. Wherever Hector found him, he'll be no trouble."

"I don't know, Jas. It seems fishy to me. I mean he freaking appears out of nowhere and Hector expects us to be cool about it." The taller man, Jas, looked over and sighed before walking up to the man in the chair. He circled around him before bringing the butt of his weapon and smashing it into his chest. The man groaned as he fell backwards, hitting the floor hard. Jas stood over him and pulled him back up.

"Now that I have your attention, why don't you tell me what you're doing here?" The man kept his head bowed, his shoulders shaking in concealed laughter. Jas stood, "fine have it your way," He said, as the butt of the gun collided with the man's head throwing him to the floor a second time.

"We won't get anythin' from 'im if you keep pounding!" The shorter man piped up, coming to stand next to his hot tempered associate. Jas grumbled in acknowledgment, using his foot to bring the chair back up. Neither of them took into account that the man had two shards of wood hidden in hid palms until it was too late. Using the momentum of the chair, glad his feet weren't tied as well, the man surged forward plunging the wooden shards into his captors. They didn't have time to scream as they fell to the floor in a crumpled heap of flesh and blood.

The man groaned slightly as his aching muscles protested the quick movements. Checking the bodies for anything valuable, he stripped them of their knives and grenades leaving the guns where they were. They would be too noisy and only end up being a hindrance. Stepping into the lit portion of the room he was in, the man rubbed the blood from his dog tags, revealing the writing underneath.

_Major M. Shepard  
><em>_Systems Alliance N7  
><em>_Co. 105th Ptl.  
><em>_KIA Aug 13, 2173. _(3)

* * *

><p><strong>Endnotes:<strong>

1. Kudo's to the first one who can guess who I'm referring to here. :)

2. The most literal translation (from Google translate) was Make them suffer.

3. Now I have no idea how Mass Effect likes to format their dog tags. It was never shown in game. If anyone knows, please let me know so I can make corrections.

**(A/N): So if you haven't figured out, this will be a crossover (well, sort of lol) of Arrow and Mass Effect. Shepard is not canon. He is my own thought up creation as i was toying around with the idea of making an AU ME story line. But I figured it would be easier to write him in here. If anyone wnts to know his origins and back-story, PM me and I'll be glad to share. Or if you think I should explain it in the next chapter let me know.**

**Now, onto other things. I want this to be an engaging story. What I mean is, I want you as readers to give me suggestions on what you'd like to see next chapter, and any other chapters afterwards. I have most of the main plot bunnies written, but for little things like: character interactions, conversations, or any other little bits you guys want to read, I'd like to know your input for things you want me to add in. :) **

**So let me know what you think, and always R&R. Helps me get excited about writing faster. :) **


	2. Prologue B

**Wow, first chapter down and already so many people read and follow the story! I'm surprised and delighted to see it. I was afraid if I put this into a category of its own it wouldn't get the views I'd hoped for, but you guys proved me wrong! I guess everyone was thinking the same I was, or saw the Mass Effect category and decided to check it out. Yay me! **

**Anyways, onto chapter two, and the second part of the three part prologue arc. I was seriously debating whether to split it up again, or just finish the prologue in this chapter, but I figured I had waited long enough with posting, and was excited to get it out for you to read. I'm already partly finished with the third chapter, and should get it out by next weekend if I'm not too busy. I promise though, after the prologue is done with, I'll be focusing on each chapter to follow the episodes in full, instead of breaking it up into multiple parts. That way I can focus on finishing them one at a time, instead of figuring out where I left off or if I missed anything. Having Arrow on Netflix helps a bunch, and provides enough background to figure out how I want the structure of the story and plot to flow. Yay Netflix! It comes in handy. **

**Now, I figured it would be much easier on me to keep the Author notes as generalized as possible, because I'm posting this in both the crossover section and the main Arrow fanfiction section. Mostly to keep both sets of people who subscribed and followed my profile and story appeased, and so I do not have to come up with two different Author's notes and keep track of who reviewed. Another reason, and the main reason, is because I want who ever reviews to throw in ideas on what they want to see in the following chapters, so I have ideas from both sets of readers to go off of. It helps inspire me on what to write, and if I get stuck, I can always throw in a filler episode of sorts to keep me and you guys satisfied. Otherwise I'll just come up with ways to torture the characters in humorous ways, and no one wants that… **

**And thank you to the people who reviewed! They certainly help me get a reign on how I want Shepard to be portrayed, and help me realize that there will be tension at times. I have plans, and I'm glad people are willing to read them as they develop in the story. And the help is nice too lol. Now, I would like a beta, if anyone is willing, to help spell check and help with grammar, since of course I won't be able to catch everything. And also to bounce ideas off of. I want to get somewhat technical, especially with Shepard's gear later on, and Felicity's knowledge of computers and her tactics with them, and overall strategizing that comes into play for the missions. I know where I stand on it, and I need help lol. Just feel free to PM me if you want to help, or if you just want information about Shepard or where I'm going with the story in general. **

**Another thing to note, while I don't own anything Arrow or Mass Effect, the Shepard that I'm using for this fic is completely not part of the canon for Mass Effect. He is my own thought up muse, and everything but the name is mine. So HE IS NOT CANON! Just to clarify **** His backstory is an interesting one I thought up, and leaves Mass Effect 2 and 3 to be completely AU for me. If you want to know, PM me and I'll be happy to tell you. It's a long story though…so be prepared haha. **

**Now…after the long A/N, let's get on with the story! Enjoy! And please remember to review if you have ideas on what you want to see come next, or if you have any critiques. Please no flames, only constructive criticism. Otherwise I have no problem calling you out so others can deal with you in retaliation. ;) **

XxX

People were all the same, no matter where they came from. They presented themselves with sweet lies coated in truth, with flattery and platitudes that would make anyone's heart melt. They would make the person feel on top of the world, like nothing could conquer them. They would have the person believe that what they offered was a gift of the Universe, a way out of whatever despair and anguish that he or she was feeling. But then, after the lights went dark, away from the public eye or scrutiny when that said person was alone, or during times of hardship when the body could not stop the turmoil the mind conjured up, came the harsh reality; that they were never there for you. All the things that were being said, all the love and devotion they gave you, it was all for nothing. They all amounted to nothing more than lies or half-truths. Things people say almost automatically or what they think the person wants to hear. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…

Well, that was something Thea Queen had figured out the hard way. As she sat in the far corner of the room she was being held in, arms curled around her legs, she thought back to when she first realized the harsh truth. While she was being tortured the first time all those years ago, it was her brother that helped give her the strength needed to endure. Every time the two siblings were reunited during that hellish week, Oliver would always check her over and make sure she was ok.

"Are you alright, Thea?" The barking laugh that accompanied the question shocked Oliver. He was even more shocked when she glared at him and turned her back, wrenching herself out of his grip.

"_Don't touch me! _Do I look ok, Ollie?_ Look at what they did! _They tortured me!" Thea couldn't believe he was asking her such a ridiculous and useless question. _ Could he not see the pain in her eyes, or the way her body shrunk away from his touch every time he went to comfort her? His pleading look did nothing to quell her misery. She would regret saying that_ when they took her brother away and she did not see him until three days later.

Thea's eyes watered at the memory of Oliver. She missed him, especially now. She missed how he would fuss over her when they were brought back together. She missed the constant time they spent together after being rescued. Oliver would pick her up from school. Oliver would find her skipping school to get away from everyone and offer to take her to lunch. Oliver would stay up late at night with her when she couldn't sleep, tell her stories of how he and Tommy would get into trouble to make her laugh. Oliver would read to her every night to help her fall asleep. Oliver would catch her in the middle of the night drinking hot cocoa, her go to source of liquid courage, and join her. He never asked if she was okay, because she knew even he wasn't. Oliver was always there for her when her parents weren't. And then he and her father died a month later, and Thea felt more alone than she ever had before.

She thought about how she spent her days afterwards stricken with grief. Being only thirteen, and still reeling from the kidnapping a month prior, Thea had no idea how to console herself. After having Oliver there for her for so long, she did not know how to cope. Her mother was no help, being a shut-in herself and not listening to Thea's pleas for her to let her in. The only solace she found was in talking to his gravestone every day after school. She would talk about how her day went, the things that were said and what she did. How her mother never said but three words to her, always taking her food to her room or when she did spend time with Thea, it was in silence. She would tell him about her nightmares, still seeing the men that tortured her and took them, and about how she would wake up at night and not be able to sleep. She told him about how she would wear his sweater at night, the old smell of Oliver helping put her mind at ease. She never took it off, for the irrational fear of losing it and feeling as if she lost him all over again. She talked about how Tommy and Laurel hung out more often than not, and how she secretly despised them because she felt like they betrayed her brother. She was only thirteen, and didn't know all the truths. Her spying on them and skipping school only lasted two years though, before they officially got together and moved to Coast City. By that point she found she didn't hate them after Tommy showed up to Queen Manor one day, asking to see her. After her adamant refusal Tommy confronted her about spying on him and Laurel. Shocked and ashamed that she had been found out Thea reluctantly agreed to join him for lunch. Tommy had explained to her that before Oliver went on the yacht to China, Laurel had a massive argument with him after she caught him juggling two other half-hearted relationships with two different women. For the two years they dated Laurel had always forgiven Oliver for his faults, be it always being late or his casual flirting with other women. But to catch him in the act of actively cheating and holding two other relationships broke her completely. Her last parting words to Oliver had been that she hopes he drowns on that boat. Tommy went on to explain that after the Gambit's sink, Laurel showed up on his door in tears, blaming herself for Oliver's death. The picture became all too clear for Thea at that point, and before she realized it, she was in front of Laurel's apartment crushing the law student in a hug as she babbled how it wasn't her fault and she didn't hate her. While Oliver and Laurel were dating, Thea had always tried to connect with the other brunette, and this was just another step in the right direction for them. After, Thea fully supported Laurel and Tommy's decision to announce their involvement and subsequent move to Coast City to start anew.

She talked to Oliver about how her classmates in school would pity her or avoid her, talking about the girl that got kidnapped and then lost her family when they thought she wasn't paying attention. She would skip school for days to avoid them, often finding herself sitting alone in Starling Central Park or walking aimlessly around. Eventually, after being at the park long enough, she found a certain Felicity Smoak standing in front of her, demanding to know why she was out here and not in school. Thea was always a tad intimidated by the hurricane that was Felicity, though to be one of her brother's best friends, she had to be. She remembered when she and Oliver were at the mall, Thea's need for a ridiculously huge present for her father's birthday dragging them there, and how she bumped into a small dark haired woman who had the misfortune of being in her way during her freny. Felicity had fallen into the fountain she had been using as a bench, and after apologizing profusely and begging her brother to buy her a new tablet, the three became fast friends. Thea always enjoyed when the younger woman came over to help her study and helped her plans on tormenting Oliver. Soon enough Felicity had to leave for MIT, and had called her after hearing about the Gambit, the two girls crying over the phone.

After telling Felicity of how everyone at school treated her, her life at home and Tommy and Laurel, Felicity called Moira and told her that Thea would be staying with her for a while. Moira was elated to hear from the MIT graduate and agreed the two being together would help Thea. Thea stayed with Felicity for five months, and they were the best five months for the young Queen since she learned her brother and father died. After the fifth month Thea decided to move back into the manor and learned that Walter and Moira were dating. She was happy to see her mother feel alive again, and it made the pain lessen some more. Seeing her mother out of her room, laughing at a comment Walter made or walking through the house with a smile on her face was enough for Thea to believe that things could be better and she could finally move on. Felicity had found another roommate, and Thea wasn't surprised to find out it was Laurel's sister Sara. Between her, Felicity and Sara, the younger Lance sister was the closest with Oliver. She always seemed to find him and get him out of trouble. She was Oliver's wing-woman, his partner in crime. After meeting the Lances in high school and Sara dogging him for attention for the first two months, Oliver finally sat and talked with the younger Lance. They talked for hours, about their families, about why they went to school, about what their hobbies were. After that moment, Oliver and Sara became thick as thieves: torturing teacher's sanities, pulling pranks on fellow classmates and teachers, sticking up for each other when the other was being bullied, and getting each other out of trouble. After the accident, Thea and Felicity would spend time at the Lance household when Sara's dad was busy with the police. After Sara and Laurel's mother passed due to cancer and Laurel moving to Coast City, it was just Quentin and Sara, and the two were more than happy for the company. Despite what Oliver had done to his eldest daughter, Quentin was reluctant to let Thea in. But his years on the force and seeing what a loss like that could do to a young child made him realize that his personal issues shouldn't fall on the younger sibling. In a short amount of time Thea found herself warming up to the gruff man and vice versa. He even got the three girls to take self-defense classes, something Thea and Sara enjoyed and Felicity dreaded. Quentin became Thea's pseudo-father, and both were more than happy for the experience. Thea was finally feeling like a normal teenager, even more so when she turned sixteen. Then the partying started, and Thea forgot about her worries in a haze of alcohol and drugs. It was easy to obtain when one had a name like Queen, and Thea was following in her deceased brother's shadow. She still spent time with Felicity and Sara, though not as frequently, and after one and a half years of constant partying and getting into trouble, stopped seeing them but once or twice a month.

Now though looking back on it, Thea regretted drifting apart from them. She realized, after everything, Felicity and Sara were the closest thing to sisters she had, more so than any of the people her age. As she slowly uncurled herself from her seated position, the shard of glass she had hidden under her dress digging into her skin, she vowed when she got out she would change. She did not want to be weak and scared anymore. She didn't want to lose anyone else or push them away. As the door to her room opened and she pressed herself against the wall, she glared at the man who tortured her for the past week in defiance. The man sauntered in like he owned her, grabbing her chin in his hand as his alcohol and cigarette laden breath swam up her nose making her want to vomit.

"So the little Queen still has some spunk to her?" The hand holding her chin came down her neck as he pushed her against the wall, squeezing. He laughed at her look of horror, "time to snuff it out." His right hand trailed down her side slowly as he pressed himself against her. She whimpered as she felt his length pressing against her. He turned her around and pushed her against the wall, pressing his leg between her thighs and spreading her legs apart. He had a solid grip on the back of her head with his left hand, his right hand running up her thigh to her mound. Thea let out a sob, tears of anger running down her cheeks as this mam was taking advantage of her yet again. She subtly gripped the shard of glass hidden in the bosom of her dress and knew she had a small window of opportunity. As the grip on her head loosened so the man could unzip, Thea spun around and plunged the shard of glass into the man's shoulder as deep as she could. The man gave a cry of pain and fell to his knees and Thea rushed around him bolting for the door. She didn't make it far, as she felt a grip on her leg and her head slamming into the concrete under her. She felt a weight on her chest and her throat tighten up as the man straddled her, his hands wrapped around her neck.

"You fucking bitch! Forget the money, I'll kill you here and screw your dead corpse!" As her vision swim and her hands groped at him to push him off she found the shard still in his shoulder. Yanking it out and stabbing him over and over with it to get him off, she was shocked and frightened to find he would not let up. As she made to stab the shard in his neck a third time, the glass now too small to do any lasting damage, the man's head was ripped back as the tip of a blade exited his mouth. Thea's eyes widen in silent awe as his blood leaked from the tip of the blade before his whole body was yanked backwards and off of her. Thea coughed as her airways were opened. Her bleary vision caught sight of a dark haired well-built man with short dark hair and stubble kneeling in front of her, his hands hovering over her body. She tried to scoot away from his touch but stopped as she felt a firm calloused hand on her shoulder. Not an aggressive grip like the man now lying in his own blood, but like how Quentin used to grip her to shake her from a nightmare to lure her back to reality. The man's piercing green gaze softened as he looked at her, her own body relaxing as he silently checked her neck for injuries. Thea winced as he touched the bruise, shrinking away from the man.

"Hey, look at me. Everything's ok, he can't hurt you anymore." The man's quiet but deep voice startled Thea. It was calming in a way and she found her fear disappearing as he held eye contact with her. His face was open for her to read, and she realized he wanted her, needed her to trust him. She saw a faraway lost look in his eyes, but the controlled determined glint overshadowed it. He might have no idea where he was, but the man was not scared in the least and from how close he was to Thea she could feel a controlled comfort radiating from him. If she had to guess, it was not the first time he's had to comfort someone who almost was killed. "My name's Michael, but you can call me Shepard. What's yours?"

Thea coughed as she tried to find her voice, "T-Thea. Thea Queen." Her voice sounded grainy and harsh to her own ears, but if Shepard didn't recognize the significance of her name he hid it well. He gave her a small smile and moved his hands to check her arms and legs for injuries.

"OK Thea. Can you stand?" He made to stand up and offered her his hand. Thea checked her legs for movement and gingerly took his hand, heaving her body up to stand shakily. She winced as a sharp pain shot up her leg, biting back a cry as tears stung her eyes. It wasn't broken, but the fall twisted her leg and sprained it. It hurt to walk. Shepard seemed to notice and knelt down in front of her, offering to carry her. "Climb on my back. It'll be easier to carry you when we run into trouble."

Thea sucked in a breath, fear clinging to her making her hesitate. There was no if they would run into trouble, but when. Shepard didn't falsely try to deny it, and that thought alone both frightened her and made her feel stronger. He barely knew her, but this man killed for her and offered her an escape without lying to her about what they would run into. Part of her was scared, but part of her felt like Shepard wouldn't let anything happen to her. She nodded and slowly climbed onto his back wrapping her arms and legs around him. She marveled silently at the way his muscles seemed to ripple as he moved. It felt like clinging to a brick wall. She felt the protruding scars around his waist and neck, and every dip and crevice. If the situation weren't so dire, and Thea not on the verge of dying a few moments ago, she would have blushed at the contact. Shepard stood swiftly and easily and after adjusting her to his comfort, made his way out of the room and into a lit hallway. And right into the line of sight of three armed men twenty feet to their left.

Without even giving the men a chance to register what they were seeing, Shepard sprinted towards them. Taking into account the young girl on his back and the fact she seemed to tighten her hold on him, he ducked under the first man's swing. Coming up on the second, Shepard firmly planted his foot into the man's chest, sending him sprawling into the one behind him. Keeping Thea's back to the all as he turned around he dodged the butt of a rifle aimed for his head and grabbed onto it. Knowing that Thea had tightened her hold on him so he was free to use his arms, Shepard yanked the gun forward and slammed his elbow into the face of the first man. He heard the crunch of bone against cartilage as the man crumpled to the floor. Hand still on the gun he turned and kicked the second man's leg out at the knee, using the butt of the gun to catch the man in the face as he fell. Tossing the rifle as a distraction at the third man, and once again taking the weight of the girl o his back into account, he used the wall to his left as a springboard, launching his body in the air so he could wrap his legs around the man's neck. Shepard swiftly twisted his legs as the three of them fell, snapping the man's neck a little sloppily due to the added weight on his back. Shepard grunted as he hit the ground, his leg buckling under him. With the three men out for the count, Shepard allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief. For now they were alone in the hallway.

Thea climbed off his back gingerly, and Shepard went to work checking the bodies for anything useful. Finding a few knives and a belt full of grenades as well as gauze and wraps, Shepard took stock of what he collected on the way over to Thea's room while the girl leaned against the wall to take weight off her ankle. Thea glanced at him in question as he picked the men up and walked them to the room where he found her. As he walked back over to her and knelt in front of her, he answered her silent question.

"If there's no bodies to be found that lessens the chances of whoever these people are to raise an alarm. If there even is one." He gingerly touched her ankle, placing the gauze and wrapping it tight for her. "From what I saw when I came to and with getting over here, these men are either privately funded or have some military training."

Thea snorted in response to that, her brows furrowing as she tried to remember what she learned about them from Felicity and Mr. Lance. "These are the same men that took me before, I'm sure of it. Some of them I recognize." At his questioning loo and arched brow, Thea was a little shocked he hadn't known before. "There were some men, about five years ago, who got laid off when my dad closed down his factory. They were apparently apart of some sort of…criminal and ex-military gang that ruled the Glades. Some of the worst people. Some were fired before because my dad found them selling illegal goods in his factory. Others knew how to cover their tracks. But when the factory closed I guess they didn't like being on the street anymore. So they kidnapped me and my brother and held us at ransom in revenge. It…didn't end well." Thea rubbed her arm self-consciously, remembering the things the men did to her and her brother. She shuddered and looked at Shepard. "I think I'm ok to walk now. Thank you."

Shepard smiled softly and nodded at her. He could see she was trying to put on a brave face, and admired her courage. It took a lot out of a person to go through what she had, and he could still see the fire hidden behind her eyes. She reminded him of his sister and a ting of sadness crept over him. He probably would never see her again and after ten years apart and spending another three years getting to know her again, it felt wrong that they were separated yet again. He shook his head slightly to push the memories to the back of his mind and looked up at Thea. At her nod, he stood and crossed the hallway, peering around the corner. Seeing that the coast was clear, he pulled Thea behind him as they crept down the adjacent hallway. Stopping as he saw two shadows around the corner, he shushed Thea and pushed her against the doorway to his right. Slipping a knife from the belt he took of one of the dead men, he knelt down low to the floor and crept along the wall where he was sure the first man would round the corner. As he caught sight of the leg of the first man, his fist whipped out and caught the man on the side of his leg. Using the man's downward momentum, he plunged the knife into the man's neck and pulled it out fluidly. Rounding the corner, Shepard threw the knife, sending it sailing into the chest of the second man, dropping him. Still running on adrenaline, and hearing the familiar sound of metal on metal, he leaned his body back as an arrow came sailing at him from behind, the tip barely missing his head as it stuck to the wall behind him. He looked back down the hall he came from, spotting a man clad in green leather and a hood covering most of his facial features, an arrow knocked and pointed at his heart.

XxX

**So what do you guys think? We get to see how Thea progressed over the years, and her first step into how I want to see her go through this story. And Oliver finally makes his appearance, albeit very briefly. We'll be seeing more of him in the next chapter, how he found the building, and him squaring off with Shepard. And Felicity and Sara come into play too (yay!). I'm trying to keep what Sara does a secret, at least until either the next chapter or the chapter after, to keep you guessing. I want to know what you guys come up with. And I know I haven't touched on Slade this chapter, but I wanted to focus more on Thea as a whole, and her meeting Shepard. You'll see him more next chapter or the following one, when I bring the prologue arc to an end. After the next chapter, I'll begin focusing on Season 1 stuff, though AU with character interactions I intend to keep the plot basically the same, with slight variations due to Shepard being brought into the fold. I'm excited to see where it leads, and I hope to get you guys excited as well while reading! **** Now again, I want reviews, mostly to see what you want to see next chapter. Not with over all plot, but with filler scenes. Like if you want banter between Shepard and Oliver, or if you want Moira to tear Oliver a new one when she sees him again. Things like that. It helps me see what you want out of the story as well, and helps me fill in blanks if I get stuck or can't seem to get the plot moving forward. I want this to be a reader interactive fic, if you get what I mean. **

**As always, review and let me know what you think! And thanks to all the followers and subscribers to this story! **


End file.
